


Underneath it All

by Inzannatea (Zanna23)



Series: Gone in a Flash [3]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Three for the Road
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-05-17 11:19:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14831312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanna23/pseuds/Inzannatea
Summary: Chapter 1 is Heat 3circumstance, quaint, proudANDbuttons, braces, shirt-sleevesANDafternoon, quaint, Plot point: Jack has trouble grasping what is happeningChapter 2 is Heat 4Flashfic Challenge 2 June 2018 Heat 4irregular, direction, mauveclue, apology, “No, Miss Fisher.”directions, enquiry, uniformbalance, wedding, newspaperChapter 3 is Heat 3, August 2018





	1. Chapter 1

"What... where are we?" Jack woke up groggily. "And why is there smoke coming from the bonnet?" 

Rosie handed him a canteen of water, "It's steam, not smoke. Phryne said we're just outside Coober Pedy. She's gone to get help. Apparently, the engine overheated."

He drank deeply, and then nodded, "It's very hot out here. We should consider driving only at night."  He took off his jacket, waistcoat, and tie, loosened his shirt by undoing some buttons, and rolled up his shirtsleeves. 

"You have loosened up, Jack Robinson. Down to your braces." Rosie said with a smile. 

"I'm not too proud to bow to circumstance," he returned her smile. He stepped out of the motorcar. Rosie slid out of the front seat and joined him on the side of the road. The sun was high in the sky. They could see nothing for miles except the yellowish brown earth with little pops of grass. Cerulean sky stretched to the farthest horizons. It was flat in every direction and there was no sign at all of their Raven haired companion. 

"How long has she been gone?" Jack asked.

"Only about twenty minutes. She was quite adamant that you get your sleep. You've not really rested in days and days, Jack." 

"She shouldn't have gone off alone." He pressed his lips together in annoyed worry.

"Jack, do you really think I could have stopped her?"

"You should have woken me, Rosie. Anything could happen. We need to stick together."

"Phryne thought you needed to rest, and I agreed with her. She's perfectly capable of walking up the road, and she has another canteen of water... and a gun. She'll be fine." 

Jack pushed himself away from the car and started pacing nervously. 

"You love her," Rosie declared, "Don't you, Jack?" 

"What?" 

"You're in love with her."

"Rosie."

"It's all right, Jack. I'm happy you're able to be in love. More in love than you were with me, I think."  Jack looked away, "Have you told her?"

"She knows," Jack replied, "I've told her how serious my feelings are."

"But have you told her you're in love her... in those words?"

"She doesn't want to hear those words." 

Rosie shook her head, "Are you so sure about that, Jack? She's in love with you, too, you know."

Jack shrugged. The afternoon heat was getting to him. It didn't matter, did it? All that mattered was that they were happy and they were good together. Who needed labels like " _in love"_?

"She is."

They heard a rumbling engine sound in the distance. 

"That's the direction Phryne went!" Rosie said.

They saw a cloud of dust before they saw the modified Packard. 

Jack grabbed his jacket and started waving it, hoping to stop whoever this was coming at them. 

It didn't matter. The truck slowed down, turned around, and backed up to the motorcar. 

The passenger door opened Phryne Fisher jumped out, "Hello, Jack! You're awake!"

He smiled up at her, lifting his hands to help her down. 

She dropped gracefully into his arms, planting a kiss on his lips as she landed.

"I see you found help."

"I did! And a place to stay!" She said with a huge grin.

A handsome young aboriginal man got out of the truck. "Rosie, Jack, this is Daku. He's a mechanic and he has a place for us to stay." 

Daku attached the motorcar to the truck and they all piled in. 

"Welcome to Coober Pedy," Daku announced as they pulled into the tiny mining town. 

Rosie forced a smile, "How quaint. Where are the houses?"

"We stay in dugouts."

"Dugouts?" 

"Yeah, we live underground. Come on. I'll show you." Daku flashed a brilliant smile at Rosie. 

"Very quaint," added Phryne with a smirk.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashfic Challenge 2 June 2018 Heat 4
> 
> irregular, direction, mauve  
> clue, apology, “No, Miss Fisher.”  
> directions, enquiry, uniform  
> balance, wedding, newspaper

"You live here?" Rosie asked with barely disguised disgust. 

Daku, or "Dak" as he insisted they call him after chatting for a bit laughed an infectious laugh, "I know it don't look like much. And hell, it ain't much... but come on."  He offered his hand to Rosie to step down out of the modified truck. 

It was blisteringly hot. Dak seemed comfortable enough, but the three from Victoria were flushed, sweat matted hair clung to their heads. Phryne had some notion of what to expect, and Jack was somewhat familiar with the concept, but none had been to a dugout house before. They didn't expect a corrugated tin shack. 

"We need to get you lot inside. I can't start working on the motorcar until the heat lets up a bit." He opened the door to the very small shack, leading them inside. The interior was empty save a hole in the middle of the floor with a ladder leading down. "Come on, then."

The space they found at the bottom of the ladder was pleasantly cool. The ceilings were low, but there was still plenty of room to stand upright for everyone. 

It was different from the houses they were used to above ground. The room shapes were irregular, not squared and framed.  The walls were carved out of the natural stone, the direction supplied by mother nature herself. The result felt very calming and protected. Both Jack and Phryne visibly relaxed for the first time since they left Melbourne almost a week earlier. 

"Dak, do you have a bath?" Phryne asked sweetly, "I really feel the need to wash away some of the Outback." 

"Don't want to blend in with the locals then missus?" Dak winked at her, "Yeah, of course. I'm really proud of it. It's the first one in the village." 

Phryne smiled widely, "You really are a guardian angel, Dak." 

"Nah, I'm just a mechanic and sometime plumber." 

Jack looked around at the bookshelves carved out of the earth, "This is really impressive. Did you do all this yourself?"

"Nah, This was me mum and dad's place. Dad worked in the opal mines for most of his life until," Dak's face twitched in pain, "Until it killed him. Mum went right after. They never did like to be apart." 

"I'm so sorry, Dak," Rosie placed her hand on his. 

"Yeah, no worries. Just life, ya know. Anyway, all us kids had moved on. I was the only one stupid enough to come back." 

"You don't work for the opal mines?" Jack asked.

"Nah, I do some noodling from time to time, but mostly I just work on the trucks and motorcars. Give directions to random passersby. Rescue idiots who come into the Outback unprepared... that sort of thing." he said the last with a wink at Jack. 

"We're very thankful for your vocation, then."

Rosie was sitting with knitted brow, "Was there an enquiry when your father was killed?" 

Dak shrugged, "A few men in uniform asked some questions. The mining stopped for a few days. Nothing ever came of it."

"I should check on Miss Ff-Phryne," Jack said standing, "Rosie, are you all right?"

"Yes, Jack. Go, I'm fine." She smiled serenely at him. 

* * *

 

"Phryne?" he asked with a knock on the asymmetrical door.

"Come in, Jack."  She was soaking in a surprisingly luxurious tub that was flecked with opal inlay. Creamy opalescent reflections with mauve and teal and orange and aubergine, like a fire across a cloudy sky.  She'd lit candles all around the small room which picked up the fire of the inlay beautifully.  He really had no clue how he got so lucky. 

"Better?"

"Mmm. Much better. Join me?" she pleaded

"Given the circumstances, No, Miss Fisher... best not," that earned him a pout, "But, by way of apology, I will wash your back."  

"On balance, I suppose that will have to do," she agreed.  

She leaned forward allowing him to dip the sponge into the water and rub circles all over her back. 

"Is this helping?"

"It's lovely, Jack. I feel like this is the first time in over a week I haven't had to keep my guard up. There's something to be said for cave dwelling." 

"Mmm.. I agree. Phryne?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. Thank you, for dropping everything in your life to go on the run for my ex-wife. I can't even imagine..."

"Jack," she said turning quickly to him, "Of course! What else would I possibly do?:" 

"Phryne, I know we don't really want to put labels and limits on what we have... and I know this isn't what you want to hear... but dammit, I need to say it anyway. I love you, Phryne Fisher. And I know it's probably more than you want to hear right now, but I don't want us to keep going without me at least telling you once..."

"Jack."

"Yes?"

"I love you, too."

"Oh. Oh! Well... good... good... I'm glad we cleared that up. I... um... yes."

Phryne grabbed him by his lapels and pulled his lips to hers for a deep kiss, "I want to check out our bedroom. Meet you there?"

Jack leaned in for another kiss, "You have the best ideas, Miss Fisher."

* * *

 

Jack found their room and settled himself on the bed.

A short few minutes later, Phryne came in wearing one of her kimonos. Her entire demeanor had changed. She looked scared. 

Jack sat up straight on the bed, "What is it?"

Phryne held out a newspaper clipping, "I found this in the bin. Jack... what does this mean?"  The clipping announced the upcoming wedding of Ms. Rosie Sanderson and Mr. Sidney Fletcher.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phryne has discovered that their host in Coober Pedy might know more about them than she thought. 
> 
> Flashfic challenge continuing the story from June

 

Jack jumped up from the bed. "ROSIE?" He shouted as he headed out of the bedroom he was to share with Phryne. 

"ROSIE?" Phryne echoed, hot on his heels.

They were alone in the Dugout. No Rosie. No Daku. 

"Jack! You don't think Daku was..."

"I don't know," Jack dragged his hand down his face. 

Phryne moved in front of him, forcing him to look her in the eyes, "Jack... we'll find her."

Jack searched her face, looking for his calm.

"Jack... we will."

Jack nodded. He thought, not for the first time, _"how did I ever live without this woman."_

"Let me throw something on."

Jack searched for any sign of Rosie and Daku as Phryne went to dress in something more action-ready than her kimono. Rosie's things were still in her quarters. There was no sign of any struggle. _"What had he done to her?"_

He had only a minute to mull this over as Phryne had returned in tan trousers, a white blouse, and sturdy boots. She held her revolver in her hand. "You ready, Inspector?"

Jack nodded at her, following as she headed to the dugout exit. 

 

The air was oppressively hot. The wind wicked away what little sweat their bodies generated. Their skin felt tight as the arid air leached moisture from their skin. 

"Anything?" Jack asked as he shielded his eyes from the glaring sun.

"Over there!" Phryne pointed at a tin shack about 100 ft away. The shack had a set of industrial fans going full speed. 

They approached the shack carefully, hearing raucous laughter coming from inside. 

Phryne secreted her gun away after sharing a meaningful look with Jack. 

Jack pushed open the corrugated tin door and a blast of cool air hit them. 

There was a roar of laughter coming from the dark hole in the floor. Phryne shrugged at Jack and headed down the ladder into the hole. 

"Miss... Phryne... what if..." 

"Sounds like a party, Jack. Not likely to be dangerous. And I have this." she brandished her revolver again. 

"What about Rosie?" He asked exasperated.

"Well, we could question the people we know are here, or we can wander around the desert and get no answers," she pointed out.

Jack rolled his eyes and followed her down the hole. 

 

* * *

 

 

Jack sighed in relief as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room.

"Jack! Come and have a drink," Rosie called to him. 

There were a few dozen people in this cool cave all enjoying mid-afternoon drinks. Rosie and Daku were in the corner of the bar sipping on beer. Jack had never seen Rosie drinking beer before. 

"Rosie! What... what are you doing here?" Jack was furious. 

Phryne stepped between her lover and his ex-wife, "Now, Jack... Rosie is just having a little libation." 

He turned on her with angry eyes. 

She ignored it. She knew his anger was merely terror. He felt responsibility for Rosie's safety, and felt like he had failed.

She sat next to Rosie, "What do you recommend?" Phryne asked sweetly.

"There's only the one beer," Dak laughed, "It tastes like shite, but it'll quench your thirst.

"I guess we'll have two of those," Phryne smiled, "Jack, love, will you get us a couple of beers?"

Rosie and Jack both whipped their eyes to Phryne at the use of the pet name.

Jack stared at Phryne in wonder for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Of course."

He wandered off to the bar.

Phryne turned back towards Dak, "So, Dak, why do you have a copy of Rosie's wedding announcement in your bin?"

Rosie turned to Phryne, "What?! Dak... is this true?" Her demeanor shifted from relaxed to terrified in an instant as she turned back to the young man.

"Not here," Dak said. 

"You don't want your friends to know you're a kidnapper? Is that it?" Phryne was indignant. Rosie scooted her chair towards Phryne, eyeing Dak with suspicion. 

Dak closed his eyes in frustration, "No... it's not..." 

Jack returned to the table with the beers, "What's going on?"

"Dak, here, was explaining to us why he has Rosie's wedding announcement," Phryne said quietly. 

"It's not what you think... I don't work for Fletcher." Dak whispered quietly, "He... he's responsible for killing me Dad."

 


End file.
